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Showing posts from July, 2014

Men, Women and Toilets

I know this is a strange title but I think it is time we chat about this. Men and women have very different feelings about this common tool of life and some of our mores are hilarious. Billions of people use a toilet multiple times a day. We actually have an interesting relationship with toilets. Here are some facts about toilets before we go any further: There is strong debate over who invented the first toilet - the Greeks or the Scots Nearly 2 billion people still don't have normal sanitation (toilets) In 1596 Sir John Harrington invented the water closet - precursor to the modern toilet Some 200 years later Alexander Cummings developed the S shape to keep foul odors out In the 1880's Thomas Crapper installed many toilets in royal palaces - he did not invent the modern toilet - oh Crap - I thought he did! In 1775 Joseph Bramah modified Cummings design and developed the hinged flap and the float valve system which he patented in 1778 In the nineteenth century flush to

Issues and Logic

There have been a number of big issues that have hit our country in the last 30 days and I feel perhaps we are not using basic logic in reacting to them. Here are my thoughts in no particular order. Supreme Court Rulings The Court has ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby on the issue of delayed contraception being provided by health plans. Specifically the Court in a 5-4 vote said that "closely held private corporations" who object on the basis of religious beliefs can deny paying for these types of contraception. It went on to say that thee religious objections cannot be expanded to affect critical/normal medical care. So here are the facts. Their are 14 types of contraception typically sold on the market and covered by ACA approved plans. Hobby Lobby objects to 4 on religious grounds. Those 4 are primarily "morning after" type drugs that Hobby Lobby equates to as abortion type drugs. Since their belief is that life starts at conception these drugs violate that beli